We'll Do This Together
by RadicalT0aster
Summary: Alexa goes in for a routine check-up. The last thing she wanted to see was her best friend Katie, unconscious, being rushed through the hospital doors on a stretcher. Takes place during season 2.
1. One Checks Out, Another Checks In

**Summary: **_Alexa goes in for a routine check-up. The last thing she __wanted to see was her best friend Katie, unconscious, being rushed through the hospital doors on a stretcher._

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**C****hapter 1**

**"One Checks Out, Another Checks In"**

Alexa leaned back deeply into the pillows of the slightly upright bed she was laying on, attempting to ignore the needle prick as the nurse took yet another vile of blood from her arm. As happy as she was that she was feeling better and could run her fingers through the re-growing short brown locks on top of her head, Alexa still wasn't a huge fan of check-ups.

Ever since she had gotten sick, it had been a flurry of lab tests, anxiety, shaky limbs, and nights feeling like her stomach was attempting to flip itself inside out. Although she wasn't nearly as sick now as back then, a part of her still felt fear at the prospect of the doctors discovering something that showed she was getting sick again. That some lab test would come back positive for crusading cancer cells.

It was mentally and physically exhausting. The kind of exhausted a nap couldn't quite solve in one go.

"You doing okay, hun?" A supportive hand patted her arm.

Alexa looked to her side and smiled at her mom, who was watching her with motherly (but this time not smothering) concern. "Doing great," Alexa replied, putting on a brave face. "Just can't wait to get this done with."

Her mom nodded in sympathy. "I know, but it's just a precaution we have to take," she said, running Alexa's arm soothingly.

She suddenly became aware of a lack of _presence_ in the room. A certain someone who always seemed to be hovering around her daughter…

"Where's Katie?"

"I'm not actually sure," Alexa admitted with a sigh. A frown creased her brow. "She said she would meet me here a little bit later. But it's definitely _later_." She craned her neck around the nurse to glance at the doorway to her room, hoping to see a tall, svelte frame and blonde hair popping in from the hallway.

The hospital staff was quite familiar with Katie and her various antics, especially when it came to Alexa's health. Needless to say, they often let quite a bit slide when they saw the supportive attraction in their friendship, but sometimes they also drew the line and would keep her out of certain procedures. Sometimes for simple things like the fact that her long limbs were clumsy and there happened to be very, _very _expensive medical equipment in the patient rooms.

But it takes a lot more than a simple 'No' to stop Katie. Alexa had to hand it to the girl: she was _creative_. With a capital C.

But the doorway remained empty.

_Still no Katie,_ Alexa noted. _She usually always comes to my check-ups._ A certain incident involving Katie smuggling herself into her mom's trunk in order to come to one of her appointments came to mind and Alexa smiled slightly at the memory. But it soon faded. If Katie was willing to go to such lengths, it didn't explain why she wasn't here already.

"You're all done," the nurse said with finality, snapping Alexa out of her thoughts, capping the blood vile with one arm and removing the needle from her arm with the other. She quickly covered the spot with a bandage in one smooth, practiced motion. "It'll take about a week for the results to come back. The doctor'll give you a call."

Alexa and her mom nodded and gave their thanks to the nurse as Alexa swung her legs down from the bed and sat up, waiting for any dizziness to subside. She took a sip of the juice box from the bedside table as she stood up, glad to be on her feet and one step closer to leaving the hospital. She didn't want to stay here longer than absolutely necessary.

"Maybe Katie will meet us in the lobby or outside," Alexa suggested hopefully as she her mom left the room and fell into step with one another down the long hospital hallway decorated with patient art. She checked her phone and grew increasingly perplexed at the lack of messages.

Lori pursed her lips thoughtfully. "It's definitely not like her to miss one of your appointments." She laughed slightly. "Maybe she smuggled herself into my car trunk again," she suggested playfully.

Alexa rolled her eyes. "Yep, that sounds very… _Katie_ of her," she joked, using her friend's name as an adjective. It was definitely fitting at times. There was no one else who had Katie's optimism, supportive spirit, loyalty, and most importantly, quirks. Lots and lots of quirks.

But Alexa loved Katie's quirks, just as they came. She wouldn't be Katie without them.

Lori tried again to comfort her daughter. "Maybe she got caught up with something and she's waiting for you on that little tree thingy between our houses."

Alexa laughed. "Tree thingy? It's a…"

She trailed off as an ambulance siren, blaring on nearly full volume, promptly cut off as the vehicle came to a rapid stop outside the sliding glass doors of the emergency room entrance. Alexa and her mom watched from the lobby as the paramedics walked quickly to open the ambulance doors.

Alexa sighed. This was yet another reason she hated hospitals. She didn't like the atmosphere of it, of knowing that yet another person was coming to the hospital because they were suffering from something. Yeah, hospitals were a place of healing, but they didn't quite offer the feeling of being home.

Alexa and her mom continued walking towards the exit to get to the parking lot when Alexa caught snippets of what the paramedics and ER doctors were saying as they quickly examined and prepared to move their newly arrived patient with a controlled sense of urgency.

"… fifteen year old female, unconscious, suspected head trauma, possibility of internal bleeding…"

"… move to surgery…"

"…her pulse is rapid—"

"…high impact collision—"

Like seeing a car accident on the side of the road, Alexa couldn't help but glance over to see the damage. The person's frame was a little hard to see through the bodies of the nurses, but she caught sight of the face behind the oxygen mask. The sight nearly made her heart stop and she grabbed her mom's hand in shock. "Mom, that's—!"

A tall, svelte frame, blonde hair, and the most familiar face.

_Katie_.

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**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! I discovered Alexa & Katie on Netflix a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with the series. I hope this fanfiction does the series justice.**

**Feel free to review, criticize, or add to your watch list. Let me know how much you're enjoying this fan fiction. You readers out there really keep me motivated! :-)**


	2. You're An Island But I've Got No Boat

**Summary: **_Alexa goes in for a routine check-up. The last thing she wanted to see was her best friend Katie, unconscious, being rushed through the hospital doors on a stretcher._

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**Chapter 2**

"**You're An Island But I've Got No Boat"**

"Katie!" Alexa didn't recognize the panicked voice that screamed Katie's name until she realized it was her own.

Alexa shoved through the nurses and paramedics to the side of the stretcher, hoping that this would be the moment when she would wake up in her bedroom and realize that this was all just a dream. Katie would be skipping through her window to wake her up and they'd help each other choose their outfits for a normal day of school. The only red she'd be wearing was her red sweater or a ketchup stain.

But she didn't. Katie was still in front of her, pale and unmoving. Her jean capris were torn and dirty and a bandage was wrapped around her head, stained with something that definitely wasn't ketchup. "Katie, wake up!"

A set of hands grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Honey—"

"That's my best friend!" Alexa shouted, fighting whoever was holding her. Tears blurred her vision. She looked at the shocked ER doctors will pleading eyes. "You have to help her!"

"They will!" Lori pulled firmer. "But you have to let the doctors do their jobs! They're the only ones who can help her right now." She succeeded in pulling Alexa around to face her and her heart broke at the tears brimming in her daughter's eyes. Lori felt tears prick her own eyes as she wondered whether or not Jennifer knew that her daughter had just been admitted to the ER.

Alexa could only stand and watch as the stretcher with her best friend was quickly wheeled away down the hall, a million scenarios running through her mind. She was dimly aware of her mother's hands on her shoulders and a nurse from the Cancer Center rubbing her back.

Her mind was screaming at her to run after that gurney, but her feet were lead and planted to the floor in shock.

"Wh-what happened to her?" Alexa stammered. "She-she was supposed to be here e-earlier and now she's—"

"I think you should sit down," Lori said quietly, then corrected herself. "_We _should sit down." She lead her daughter down the hall towards the ER waiting room and Alexa numbly sank into the plastic chair.

"This has to be some kind of joke, right? Some kind of drama club acting exercise?" Alexa knew it was preposterous the moment she said it, but she had to cling to the small hope that Katie was fine and this couldn't be happening.

"I don't think so, honey," Lori said sadly, hating the words as they rolled off her tongue. "But whatever happened, we'll find out soon enough, okay?"

Alexa could only nod.

"Katie's an emergency contact on your health records," Lori explained slowly, cupping her daughter's hands in her own, "meaning she has access to know important information about your health. Do you know if Katie has the same thing set up for our family? That's the only way the doctors will tell us anything."

"Uh, I…" Alexa strained to think through the emotional fog in her brain. Her mom was asking an extremely valid question right now and she needed to focus. "I-I don't know. I'm not sure if she's ever been a patient here before."

Katie was such a lively spirit it was hard to picture her sick, injured or bedridden at all. Well, aside from the common cold or small bruises from bumping into things due to her clumsy limbs. Then again, Alexa had been a strong basketball player before she got cancer. But the thought of Katie Cooper being admitted…

Alexa didn't want to think about it too hard right now. She was still in denial and perfectly comfortable with that until they found out real answers.

Lori nodded slightly. "Alright. I'm going to call Jennifer. Just come find me if you need or hear anything in the meantime, okay?"

Alexa nodded and her mom stepped away. As soon as she had passed through the sliding entrance doors, Dr. Breitwieser of all people walked by with his head buried in what looked like a patient chart. But the sight of his young cancer patient in the ER waiting room was a surprise and he glanced up.

"Ms. Mendoza, fancy seeing you here," he said playfully with a small smile. "I thought you were cleared for today. Now I know you won't hear the results for a little bit, but I guarantee that hanging around here—your most favorite place in the world—isn't going to speed things along any faster, unfortunately. A lot of it depends on the lab." He looked apologetic.

Alexa only halfway registered his words and looked at him in surprise to see him standing there. "Oh, Dr. Breitwieser. Sorry, I…" She trailed off. How could he seem so normal when her entire world had just been turned upside in the last ten minutes?

"Is everything okay, Alexa?"

"Um…" _Where do I even start? _"No, no it isn't." She stood up quickly—too quickly—and started to move towards him, if a little unsteady. _My blood sugar must still be stabilizing_. "Katie, she… she was—or, she was supposed to, and then she didn't and now she's—and, like, how do you… I mean, d'you know if she's—"

"Ms. Mendoza, slow down. And you should probably sit dow—"

"No! I don't want to sit!" Alexa said, louder than she intended. But she didn't care. "How? How can I when Katie was just admitted?!"

"Katie Cooper?" Dr. Breitwieser said in surprise. The tall, bubbly blonde came to mind. "When? What happened?"

"Just now," Alexa sniffled. A few tears had dripped onto her cheeks. She swallowed. "I don't know what happened," she answered for him preemptively, shaking her head slightly. "But she's in _there_ and I don't know what's going on… and I hate that."

He nodded carefully, watching Alexa's strong exterior start to crack slightly. She was a tough patient, never one to give up easily, partly because Katie was such a strong support in her life. But now the tables had turned.

Dr. Breitwieser put a hand on her shoulder. "Alexa, do you see these letters next to my name?" He pointed to the shoulder of his white doctor's jacket.

Alexa sniffled. "Mid?"

"M-D," he corrected gently. "And I had to go through a lot of schooling and hands-on practice to earn these letters. I got the opportunity to work with amazing doctors who I would trust with my own life. And right now, those same doctors are in that ER room helping Ms. Cooper."

Alexa nodded but didn't say anything.

"Rest assured, Katie is in good hands." He patted her arm once more in what he hoped was a comforting way, and then turned to starting walking down the hallway.

Alexa hesitated for a second and then turned and called after him, "Dr. Breitwieser?"

He paused and turned back, his eyebrows raised in a question. "Yes, Ms. Mendoza?"

"Thanks. Y'know… for everything."

Dr. Breitwiser smiled. "All part of the job." And with that he turned and rounded the corner, disappearing from sight.

Alexa knew from experience that tears had a way of exhausting you in a way that physical activity couldn't as she made her way back to the plastic chair and sat down, drawing her knees to her chest. She put her head in her hands and said a silent prayer.

_Please be okay, Katie._

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Lori stood outside the sliding ER doors, paying no attention to the nurses and people passing in and out as she stared at the phone in her hand.

How exactly do you go about telling a close friend that her daughter was just admitted to the Emergency Room? _They skipped that topic in the last parenting book I read._ _Crap._

After grappling with her thoughts for longer than necessary, Lori told herself that Katie and Jennifer were more important than her insecurity and she hit the 'Call' button, tapping her foot anxiously as she listened to the dial tone.

"C'mon, Jen… pick up…"

Finally, after what felt like a full minute, Jennifer's voice rang through the speaker. "Hey, Lori. What's up?"

Lori sighed in (partial) relief. "Jen, so glad I got a hold of you."

Jennifer sighed herself, sounding a tad bit stressed. "Yep, you know me, hard at my slave task—I mean, work task, for the day."

In normal circumstances, Lori would've laughed at her dry joke. But the weight of the situation demanded something else. "Listen, Jen. I've… well, something has happened and I'm not quite sure how to say it, so… I'm just gonna say it."

Jennifer's tone became serious in the way only a mother's could. "Whoa, Lori. Are you okay? Is it Alexa?" Lori hesitated for a second and Jennifer must've taken that for a 'Yes' because a split second later the sound of paper rustling and a chair being shoved aside could be heard in the background. "Hang on, I'm coming right over. _Hey boss, you're gonna have to give these to the intern. Family emergency._"

Lori's felt warm and fuzzy at hearing her call it a 'family emergency'. _If only she knew how much of a family emergency it really is._

"Jennifer, wait. Actually, it's—"

"What? What is it?"

Lori took a breath and said the words that struggled to come off her tongue. "It's Katie."

The line on the other end went silent for a second. "What do you mean? What happened? Is she sleeping over, in trouble…?

Lori swallowed, feeling teary. She knew the feeling a mother should never feel, getting the news that her daughter was ill or injured. But she couldn't let the tears spill. She had to be strong. "Um, she's in a bit of trouble, actually. She… Wellard Children's Hospital. Emergency room. She… she's hurt."

Jennifer was silent on the other end, frozen mid-step with her bag thrown only halfway onto her shoulder. After a few seconds she managed to speak. "Oh-oh my god. I'll—I'll be there as soon as possible."

Lori didn't even have time to respond as the line went dead.

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**Author's Note: Whew, I managed to crank this bad boy out in a relatively short time since the first update! I've really enjoyed writing it so far and hope you all like it! This will be many more chapters.**

**The title of this chapter was inspired from the lyrics of "I'm Here" by Sweet Talk Radio, which was featured in Season 2, Episode 8: The Ghost of Cancer Past.**

**Please review, comment, and follow at your leisure. Let me know what you'd like to see more of!**

**Thanks for reading! :-)**


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